It’s no secret that the Minnesota Vikings need help at cornerback. It was a position of weakness coming into the 2024 season, even before the tragic events of the offseason. That need has only become more evident as training camp has progressed, and sooner or later, the front office may be forced to do something about it.
If the Vikings want to get out of the gates on the right foot on defense, they should head off the problem now. That’s likely the thinking behind Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggesting the Vikings pull off a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for cornerback Michael Jackson.
As Ballentine sees it, the Seahawks have a surplus of talent at cornerback, and that has made Jackson expendable. Jackson has talent in his own right, but has struggled to see the field in Seattle, playing just 40% of the team’s defensive snaps last season after being a starter in 2022. In that 2022 season, Jackson gave up a passer rating of just 75.1, so there’s still a good cornerback in there.
The big question is, what would the Vikings have to give up to get Jackson? The answer is one that some may not want to hear: NFL Draft capital. A resource that the Vikings are already lacking next season. As it stands today, Minnesota has just four picks in next year’s draft. Would it be worth it to give up capital next year for a potential starter now?
Considering that Ballentine’s proposal is only a fifth-round pick, it makes sense for the Vikings to part with the capital if Jackson can tap into the player he was in 2022. Minnesota isn’t likely to get a cornerback of that caliber in the fifth round. Not to mention the freedom it would open up for the few picks that Minnesota does have if they suddenly don’t have to dedicate an early one to corner.
However, if Jackson can’t regain the form he had in 2022, when he was a dependable starter, Minnesota could be stuck in the same place it is today, with one less pick next year to help rectify the situation.